Quick disconnect



Sept. 20, 1949. J. R. SABBIA QUICK DISCONNECT 2 Sheets-Sheetl Filed May 13, 1948 INVENTOR.

BY Jer ome H. sdbblcl ATTORNEY P 1949- J. R. SABBIA 2,482,292

QUICK DISCONNECT Filed May 13, 1948 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

BYl/erome R. 5:12))!!(2- ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 20, 1949 z j;

UNITED STATES PATENT omcn fg QUICK DISCONNECT Jerome R. Sabbia, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to United Aircraft Corporation of East Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application May 13, 1948, Serial No. 26,902

6 Claims. (01. 244-122) This invention relates to high speed aircraft and particularly to an improved mechanism for disconnecting the pilots supply lines such as air and oxygen during emergency egress from an airplane.

In aircraft which are adapted to flying at high speeds and at extreme altitudes such as fighter planes, the pilot wears a G suit which must be supplied through a hose with air under pressure from a suitable supply source in the airplane. Oxygen must be supplied through another hose to the pilots mask and various electrical connections must be established to heating coils in the pilots suit, to his microphone, and to his headset. In an aircraft having an ejectable pilots seat or in the event of any emergency exit it is important that means he provided to instantaneously release the pilot carried equipment from the aircraft supply lines.

A complete description of a quick disconnect mechanism as employed with an ejectable seat in a fighter type aircraft is disclosed and claimed in copending Patent'application Serial No. 772,199, filed September 4, 1947. The present invention deals with a greatly improved quick disconnect mechanism of the general type disclosed in the aforementioned application.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved quick disconnect mechanism for pilots supply lines which is extremely simple, reliable, and practically foolproof. I

It is a further object of this invention to provide a quick disconnect mechanism of improved construction which permits easy separation of the supply lines which are part of the pilots personal flight accessories from their connection to lines that are attached to-the airplane structure.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one embodiment of the invention which is described herein and show in the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings,

Fig. 1 shows the equipment normally worn by the pilot of a fighter aircraft; parts of the airplane being shown in phantom.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the'quick disconnect console according to this'invention.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view. of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of the actuating lever.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the slotted locking cam element.

Fig. 1 generally indicates a portion of the fuselage 2 of a fighter aircraft in the vicinity of the pilots compartment which is normally closed. by a sliding canopy 4. The console 6 is located adjacent the pilots seat and is fixed to the aircraft structure, the equipment in this console being connected to the pilots personal flight equipment such as his G suit, oxygen mask, microphone, and headset by a flexible adapter 8.

The quick disconnect console shown in Fig. 2 consists of a base plate It! having a pair of downwardly disposed legs I2 and a subcasing l4. A tiered pedestal I6 having an electrical connection l8 and fluid connections 20 and 22 is releasably attached to the base plate It). A pair of parallel arms 24 and 26 are pivotallyattached to the ends of the legs I2 by means of the shaft 28 which is disposed between and connected to the legs [2. The free ends of the arms 24 and carry adjustable screw type cams 32 which cooperate with a cam element 34 in a manner which will be described hereinafter. The arm 26 is elongated at its pivoted end to form an actuating lever 35 which extends outwardly from beneath the base plate In thus providing a lever for rotating the arms 24 and 26. The actuating lever 35 may be moved by the pilot, or the lever may be intercom nected to other emergency pre-ejection release mechanisms in the pilots cockpit.

Referring to Fig. 3, the subcasing [4 which is integrally attached to the lower surface of the base plate It! contains annular flanged apertures for housing the lower fluid connections and d2. Cooperating flanges 44 on the connections 49 and 42 abut the flanges in the subcasing l4 and are held in position by lock rings 46. Bellows 50 of suitable material are positioned to fit the periphcry of the annular apertures of subcasing it and have their lower surfaces abutting the flanges 44 of the connections 40 and 42. Upper fluid fittings 20 and 22 are normally snugly attached to the pedestal l6 since the integral collars 43 on the fittings mate with complementary surfaces within the pedestal. The lower surfaces of the fittings 20 and 22 abut the upper surface of the bellows 50 normally compressing them to form fluid tight seal.

The pedestal I6 and the substantially integral fluid connections 20 and 22 are normally held in position against the base plate It] by means of dowels 60., The dowel has a reduced step between.

the threaded section and the conical portion 62 1 and is rigidly attached to the pedestal IS in such si icates The conical portion 62 of the dowel 5% can V easily fit through the large end of the slot 66 in the cam element 34. Howeverwhen; the peel estal 60 is in proper position on the 'base'plate Ill, the cam element 34 can be moved toward the dowel 60 so that the smaller end oifiithe'tapered slot 66 straddles and engages the reduced por tion of the dowel 60 thereby looking it in position. When in the open position, i, e., with the larger portion of the slot-66 engaging-the dowet'ill, it is possible for the pedestal I6 and the attached connections: 2e, 22 and the receptacle 18' to be released from the base plate Ill. l Fluid supplies from sources in the: airplane are normally directed to the connections '46 and tr.- The connections as and 32 are in turn. con nested via the adapter 8 to the pilots: personal equipment by means of flexible hoses in order'to provide him with the fluid when desired The electrical connection is has a plurality ofj'acks m (Fig; 4} which protrude-from bots tom of the pedestal 5 arid communicate-with cooperating sockets in the s-iibcasing M. The jacks 10 having a friction fit the sockctsof the subcasing l4- are easily detachable iiormthe latter, hence they can be readily released; when the pedestal I6 iswithdrawn from the base plate mechanisms in the cockpit, thereby similarly ro toting the arms 24 and 28. As aresult,- the earns 32 which are mounted adjacent the free endsor the arms 2i and 25 communicate with the short leg of the cam element 35 causing it to move away from the dowel 5'8. The larger portion-of the slot 66 in thecam element 3i will then'be-in communication with the; dowel 89 to permitthe latters removal from the passages 84. It reticenapparent that the entire pedestal it, including the fluid connections 52', 58, and the electrical:

receptacle i8, can easily be withdrawn from the console to permit rapid egress by the pilot'- in emergencies i As a result of this invention it can be seenthatan extremely simple and efficient quick disconnect' mechanism. has been provided to permit-the rapid release of the pilots flnidand electrical supply lines from the airplane structure, 1

It is also evident that due to the simplicity and rugged construction afluid tight release mocha nism has been provided which can be easily dis" connected and wherein the possibility of man function has been minimized. v 7

While only one embodiment of the invention has been shown, it is evident that various modifications and variations of the construction and arrangement of this invention can be made with out departing tram-the scopecf the-inven i n? W in said base, cam elements having tapered slots I claim:

1. In a quick disconnect mechanism for releasably connecting pilot carried equipment with supply lines in an aircraft, a base rigidly attached to the aircraft and connected to said supply lines,

a pedestal mounted on said base for interconnesting said supply lines to said pilot's equipment, cooperating detenii means; on: said base and pedestal for releasably holding said base on said pedestal including a reciprocable latch member on said base, and cam mechanism carried by said base for releasing said detent means.

2. In a quick disconnect mechanism for releasabiyeonnectihg pilot carried equipment with snpplyl'ihes in an" aircraft, a base rigidly attached tothe aircraft and connected to said supply lines, apedestal mounted on said base for interconnecting said supply lines to said pilots equipment, cooperating detent means on said base and ped estal for releasably holding said pedestal on said base including a; reciprocable latch member on said base: and-a cooperating latch engaging memher on saidpedestal and pilot operated means for actuating said latch member to release said supply lines.

'8'. Quick' disconnect mechanism for releasably connecting a pilotfscqnipmentwith fluid supply apart in said passagesin the assembled positionof said platemember and pedestal, compressed bellows in the passages in said plate member abutting the adjacent ends of said fittings and forming a fluid tightseal therein, and means for releasably connecting said plate member and pedestal for holding the adjacent ends of'said fittings in: fluid sealing engagement with said bellows;

4 A quick disconnect forreleasably connecting a pilots equipment with supply lines in an aircraft including a base adapted to be mounted on theaircraftg-a movable member, cooperating holes in said base and stepped dowelsin said member" for centering said base and member, cooperating fluid passages in saiclibase and member, tubular fittings in said passages having their adjacent ends spaced apart in the assembled position'of said baseand member, a bellows in the space between-said endshavinga normal axial dimension greater than said space for forming a fluid tight seal therebetween, cam element's sl'fdably' mounted on said basehaving tapered surfaces cooperating with said dowels forreleasably locking said mem her to said base, and cam operating means mounted on said base and-cooperating with said release said member from said cam: elements to base.

connecting a pilots equipment withsupply lines in an. aircraft including, a base adapted-tape rigidly mounted on the aircrafaa movable mem r, o perating holes in: said base and step-Red dowels in said member for -centerine. said base and member. cooperating passages in said base and member, tubular fittings and an electrical receptacle in said passages, bellows in said pass sages between the adjacent ends of said fittings" forming a fluid tightseal therein, said electrical receptacle including jacks protruding irom' sem member and irictionaliy cooperating with sockets 5. A quick disconnect mcchanisxnior releasable 'through, cooperating passages in said base having flanges adjacent the bottom of said lower portion, downwardly disposed flanged fittings attached to said base having their flanges abutting the upper surface of the flanges on said base, lock rings on 1 said downwardly disposed fittings abutting the lower surface of the flanges on said base, bellows within the passages in said base normally compressed between the adjacent ends of said upstanding and downwardly disposed fittings forming a fluid tight seal, cams carried by arms pivot ally connected to said base, stepped dowels connecting said base and pedestal, and cam following elements slidably attached to said base 00- operating with said cams and dowels to releasably lock said tiered pedestal to said base.

JEROME R. SABBIA.

REFIEEENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,331,309 Curriston Oct. 12, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS N umber (Jountry Date 501.203 Great Britain Feb. 20- 1939 

